Moderate icing conditions require which of the following actions?

• A. Operational de-icing and anti-icing
• B. Immediate diversion
• C. Increase altitude
• D. Reduced airspeed

Answer: (A)

Moderate icing means ice is actively forming on critical surfaces fast enough to affect handling, so you must use the aircraft’s ice protection systems to manage it. De-icing removes ice that’s already accumulated, while anti-icing prevents more ice from forming. Using both helps maintain lift, keeps stall characteristics predictable, and reduces drag and weight penalties caused by ice. That’s the safer, standard approach to continue flight in moderate icing.

Diversion is not automatically required unless you can’t control the aircraft or conditions worsen beyond capability. Simply increasing altitude isn’t a guaranteed fix for icing, and reducing airspeed would typically worsen the situation by increasing the likelihood of stall and reducing maneuverability.